The present invention is generally related to a security system for the control of an aircraft, and more particularly related to a security system to prevent unauthorized flight operation of a civil passenger or freight aircraft.
The terror strikes carried out recently with civil commercial airliners in the USA have triggered an intense discussion about how such strikes can be prevented in the future by technical means. It is necessary to prevent aircraft hijackers who are capable of controlling the aircraft from gaining control of the aircraft in order to fly it to a target selected by them and to cause disastrous destruction by intentional impact.
Improved security of the cockpit of the aircraft is being discussed as a possibility for improving security. In particular, a lockable cockpit door that can be unlocked only by special measures and/or only at specific times is being considered. This approach is, however, considered unsatisfactory in practice for various reasons. For one thing, the possibilities for evacuation of the aircraft essential in an emergency are reduced since, for the passengers or the crew, the way through the cockpit into the open is no longer readily available. For another, a locked cockpit door is of only limited use if aircraft hijackers located in the passenger compartment force the pilot to unlock the cockpit door by the threat of force against the passengers and the crew.
Consequently, it would be advantageous to provide a technical device to reliably prevent the control and steering of an aircraft by unauthorized individuals.